Gunman shot paintings on New Orleans square

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A man arrested for shooting a gun in a New Orleans square didn't hit anyone, but he destroyed some art that was apparently not to his liking, witnesses said.

Alan Minor, an artist who was displaying his paints Sunday afternoon in front of Jackson Square, said the shooter was sitting near him for about an hour before pulling out his gun and firing off shots, WVUE-TV, New Orleans, reported Monday.

"When he got in front of my artwork he took five shots at it. It was a complete random act. I wasn't expecting it at all," Minor said.

Minor said the man calmly walked away after shooting off the rounds, which destroyed some of his plank board paintings.

"There was a gentleman that was on a bicycle that followed him but he didn't know he was being followed and I guess as he got further down Decatur, he signaled the cops that this was the person that was firing the gun," Minor said.

Police said Eric Wilson, 41, was arrested on five counts of illegal discharge of a firearm and aggravated criminal damage.

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